


Akari (明)

by OriharaInfobroker



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: M/M, Mysterious Yakuza Executive, Pole Dancing, Russian Mafia, college student izaya
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:01:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22768213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OriharaInfobroker/pseuds/OriharaInfobroker
Summary: Shinra tricks Izaya into taking a pole-dance class. Chaos follows.
Relationships: Orihara Izaya/Shiki Haruya
Comments: 22
Kudos: 105





	1. Under Your Skin

**Author's Note:**

> This was something... XD  
> Honestly I kind of just wrote this with only the loosest of ideas. My thought process was literally:  
> 1\. Shinra tricks Izaya into taking a class  
> 2\. Izaya performing on stage  
> 3\. Shiki seeing Izaya performing on stage.  
> Which is basically what I wrote but I have no idea if it's coherent, in character or makes sense.  
> So yeah, enjoy.
> 
> (Aradia is a stolen name. There is a studio where I live called Aradia and they teach pole dancing.)

“Aradia Fitness? That’s a strange name.” 

“It’s an American franchise or something. I signed up for one of their classes and got a free guest pass. It’s supposed to be a focus class on core muscle strength.”

Izaya stared at Shinra over the edge of his textbook, eyes narrowed suspiciously. “But why did you sign up for a fitness class? And why me?”

“Because it sounded fun and I want to look my best for my sweet Celty! Besides I heard core muscle strength can really help with lasting longer in-”

“Yare yare.” Izaya interrupted with a sigh. “So go alone. I’m not interested.”

“Come on, Izaya! It’ll be fun!”

“It will not.”

“I’m not going to stop asking until you agree.”

Izaya sighed. That was no idle threat coming from Shinra. “One class.”

“Yes!”

~

The studio was in an out of the way location, tucked into a basement under an izakaya. Nothing outside would even draw attention to it, just a small sign with the name of the studio. Izaya raised a brow at Shinra.

“What? Lots of small studios have locations like this. Cheap rent.”

“Uh-huh.” The doubt was obvious in Izaya’s tone. A couple of young women with gym bags passed them, entering the studio. 

“See? They’re obviously here for the class.” Izaya continued to stare at Shinra suspiciously but pulled open the door and descended the stairs into what appeared to be more of a dance studio than a gym. There were no exercise machines, just several studios with mirror walls and barres.

“Shinra…” Izaya sighed, eyes narrowing. 

Shinra just pushed Izaya toward one of the studios. “No backsies! You said one class,” Shinra replied with a grin. 

“Just what exactly did you sign up for?” Izaya demanded, letting Shinra push him into the studio with a sigh. He looked around at the room, noting first of all that they were the only men. The next thing he noticed were the poles that had been set up.

“Pole dancing!” Shinra announced with a grin.

Izaya smacked his shoulder. “Why are you such a pervert? We’re the only guys here. Now they’re going to think I’m a pervert too.”

“Izaya,” Shinra confided, expression serious. “You _are_ a pervert.”

“Not the kind that joins pole dancing classes to stare at girls.” He retorted with a scowl.

“Just tell them you’re gay. It’ll be fine.” Shinra grinned. Izaya crossed his arms. “Oh come on, I bet you’ll be great. If you can climb a building, a pole should be no problem at all.”

“Attention, everyone,” the instructor announced, ending their argument. “We have two guests tonight, come to give the class a try. Please be welcoming and helpful, this is their first time.” 

The other girls looked at them, some shyly, others with suspicion. 

Izaya gave them a charming smile and a polite bow. “Hello! I’m Orihara Izaya and this is Kishitani Shinra. My friend kind of tricked me into this so please be kind.” A couple of the girls laughed at his admission. “He’s just here to learn how to do this so he can try to impress his girlfriend.” That drew a few more laughs.

“Excellent. Let’s start with warmups. We’ll start slow so you two can follow along.” The instructor led them through a set of warmup stretches followed by a set of dance warmups, going through foot and arm positions. Shinra was never particularly graceful but managed to muddle through while Izaya very quickly picked up on the motions. The instructor watched him, surprised and impressed by his natural grace and adaptability.

The instructor set the other students to practice some beginner moves then moved to the two of them. "You're quite graceful, Orihara-kun. Have you done dance classes before?"

"No, sensei." He replied, looking up at the pole. "But I have some... gymnastics experience."

"Let me walk you through the basics. Since you've never done this before, don't expect to be able to do everything right away. Most people have to work up to it."

Izaya gave her a smirk, nodding as she moved to the pole and began to demonstrate a series of beginner moves, none of which required climbing the pole. Shinra went first and Izaya watched, chuckling as his friend struggled. Shinra was many things but physical fitness was simply not a strength of his. He repeated the moves awkwardly, completely unaware of the movements of his own limbs. Izaya shook his head and sighed. “If you really want to impress Celty you’re going to need a lot more classes.”

“Anything for my Celty!” Shinra replied with a shrug as he moved away so that Izaya could take a turn.

Izaya moved to the pole and started with the beginner moves the teacher had shown, taking the time to perfect each one before moving on to the next. Though he had never done them before, it was easy for him to mimic the graceful turns and poses. The teacher provided commentary, correcting his mistakes or positions. 

"Kishitani-kun please continue to work on the basics I just showed you.” The instructor spoke. “You're very good, Orihara-kun. Would you be willing to try some aerial moves?" 

Izaya shrugged. "Sure, why not? These moves you've shown me so far haven't been very challenging."

She arched a brow then grasped the pole and began to climb, executing a series of more complicated moves. Izaya watched with fascination then moved toward the pole, grasping it the way she had. He shimmied up the pole with minimal effort, working through the moves she had been doing. What he lacked in skill he made up for in natural grace and the instructor didn’t even try to hide her reaction, clearly impressed. She pulled him aside at the end of the class.

“You have a knack for this, Orihara-kun. You should really consider continuing.”

“I don’t know. I just came to keep my friend company,” he replied with a shrug. “This isn’t really my kind of exercise.”

“You’re a college student, right? There’s good money in it if you want an easy job.” Izaya tilted his head at the suggestion, eyeing the instructor suspiciously. 

“Are you using this class to recruit girls?” He asked bluntly, surprising the instructor.

“Ah… not usually,” she replied with a bit of embarrassment. “I run a club and we’re always looking for new acts. I think you have a lot of potential and it would be very unique to have a male performer. Most first-timers can’t climb the pole much less start executing aerial moves. You have a grace to your movements that is mesmerizing. I think you could be very popular.”

Izaya’s eyes narrowed speculatively. “You’ve watched me for an hour or so and you‘re offering me a job? What’s the catch?”

“No catch, honestly. If I’m right, you bring money into the club. Give me a chance. I’ll help you put together a routine and you’ll perform at the club. If you like it, we can work out a contract. If you don’t, you can just walk away.”

Izaya considered the offer, intrigued. He wasn’t particularly shy but performing on a stage was not something he had much experience in. Pole dancing was definitely not in his potential career list but a bit of extra cash while he was in college would be nice and working in her club could give him all sorts of opportunities to explore his other business interests. “Private lessons?”

“Of course. You’re already ahead of the girls who come here for fitness classes anyway.”

“All right, I’ll give it a try.”

~

The club was dimly lit and full of rich men in suits, eyes focused on the stage. This was no two-bit strip joint she’d asked him to work for and seeing it now, he better understood why she might want something unique. He’d assumed that the club was owned by yakuza - most businesses like this were - but passing by the men at the door bearing their ink proudly beneath the neon glow of the sign was a very real reminder. 

The girls performing were all beautiful, of course, but they were also very skilled. Izaya had watched all of them performing at some point during his own rehearsal and had quickly learned that these weren’t just pretty girls in bikinis being paid to look provocative. Which had only made him more curious about how this club did business. 

_If they weren’t selling the dancers, who were they selling?_

The girls shared a dressing room in the back but as the only guy, he’d been given a small private room to get ready. He stared at his reflection, carefully applying layers of makeup. Black liner around the eyes and red shadow over the lids, drawing out the colour of his eyes. Contour and highlight over his cheekbones, already sharp lines made sharper by the subtle shading. Lastly came the lips and his hand pauses, brush poised over the palette as he contemplated the colours that ranged from nude through various shades of pink to cherry red. His eyes shifted up to his reflection and he smirked as he passed the brush through that bright red and carefully applied it to his lips. 

_All or nothing at this point._

Next was the costume, more obvious for its lack of material. Black and red boxers and halter-style top, broken by the lines of pale flesh and defined muscle. His stomach twisted nervously as he stared at his reflection. He was hardly shy or self-conscious; there was no question in his mind that he looked good. Yet there was still a nervousness at the thought of so many eyes staring at him. This wasn’t like changing for gym class or visits to the beach where nudity was a side effect. Here, part of the focus was the nudity. He trailed his hands over the line of his stomach, trying to ease the fluttering in his stomach.

_What a strange feeling._

A knock at the door tore him away from his thoughts.

“Come in,” he called and his instructor, Hina, entered the room.

“Are you ready?” She asked with a smile and he nodded. “Did you think of a stage name?”

“Akari, as in _light_.”

She arched a brow at his choice. "I’ll let the announcer know. There are two more girls ahead of you. Go ahead and wait backstage.”

Izaya stood, taking one last look in the mirror and a deep breath to calm himself. 

_No turning back now._

~

“I thought you’d be interested. He came to the studio with a friend who was there on impulse but he’s actually very good.”

“You know I trust you to pick the performers. You don’t need my permission to hire a new dancer, especially if you think it will bring in more profit. A male dancer is an interesting choice, considering our clientele.”

“I know sir. I thought you might want to see for yourself.”

“All right, I’ll watch his performance.”

“Thank you, sir.”

~

Izaya had chosen his own music. His instructor hadn’t been sure about it, a slow piece with heavy bass and a dark feel to it. It was quite different from the softer music the other performers used, more primal, but in the end she had agreed. He took his place on the dark stage, a shadow against the soft backlight until the music began to play. So different from the previous acts, it definitely caught the attention of the audience. He moved with the fluid grace of a large cat, predatory and not at all soft or feminine like the girls. He gazed at the audience and saw that in only a few brief movements he had enthralled them, drawn them in and silenced them with his music and his presence. He smirked as he continued his dance, nervousness fading, knowing that he had an entire room focused on him at that moment. 

Hands reached for the pole and muscles flexed as he flowed gracefully into the routine, showcasing strength and fluidity in each flip, spin, climb and slide. There was no hesitance as he went from one move to the next, no concern as he hung from the pole or flipped positions midair. The moves were carefully choreographed to match the music, controlled and precise. Not at all like the parkour he so loved to do; there was no risk here to get his adrenaline pumping. Yet as he held an entire room captive with his skill and his beauty, a different kind of rush excited him. The heady intoxication of power, the realization that he controlled the audience. Their mood was his to control through nothing more than music and movement.

As his act came to an end, the hush that had taken the crowd during the performance broke, bombarding him with applause, cheers and whistles. He gave them a flamboyant bow then turned and walked off the stage with the same predatory grace he had entranced them with. Once backstage, one of the other girls handed him a water bottle, grinning.

“Orihara-kun, that was amazing!” She spoke, excited for him. “You had the whole room! That doesn’t happen very often.”

“Thank you,” he replied as he opened the bottle. “I can see why you do this. That was quite exciting.”

“Orihara-kun, there’s someone I’d like to introduce you to if you don’t mind,” Hina called to him and he nodded.

“Now? Or should I change?”

“As you are is fine,” she replied with a slight smile. “As you are no doubt aware, my club is owned by the Awakusu. One of their executives is here and I’d like you to meet him.”

“Is he the one who decides whether or not I’m hired?” Izaya asked perceptively.

“He generally gives me free rein to manage the staff as I see fit as long as they get their share of the profit. However, he is technically everyone’s boss so he could have a say if he chooses to.”

“I see,” Izaya replied, curious about who this yakuza executive might be. He had investigated the local yakuza family and knew the names and reputations of the most important figures. He’d only just started working toward building his business and this seemed like a very good opportunity, almost too good to be true considering this all started with another one of Shinra’s weird, perverted ideas.

Hina led him to the manager’s office where the executive sat on the couch with a drink in one hand and a smoke in the other. He wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell of smoke as he followed her into the room. He fixed the yakuza with an intense stare, studying him critically. Black hair, dark eyes and sharp cheekbones. White suit, black dress shirt open at the collar, gold chain around his neck. Brand name, obviously expensive yet the suit seemed too large for the man who wore it, at odds with his otherwise impeccable presentation. Their eyes met and Izaya realized that the executive was studying him in the same way, dark eyes critically taking in his features and nearly naked form.

“Orihara-kun, this is Shiki Haruya of the Awakusu.” Hina introduced the man. The name was definitely familiar, as was the man’s cold-blooded reputation. “Shiki-san, this is Orihara Izaya.”

“My apologies, it seems there was a slight miscommunication when I asked to speak with you.” The executive’s gaze shifted to Hina. “If you wish to get dressed, I will wait.”

Izaya’s lips curved into an amused smile at the odd courtesy this man was extending him. There was nothing in his expression to reveal what he thought of Izaya’s near-nudity, neither an indicator of admiration or disgust, so Izaya simply shrugged. “This is fine. I wouldn’t want to waste your time.”

“Please take a seat, then.” Izaya tilted his head slightly as he contemplated his options then moved to take a seat on the opposite end of the same couch, leaning against the arm and crossing his legs.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to check on the performers,” Hina spoke, giving Shiki a bow before leaving the room with a hint of a smile. Izaya watched her leave, eyes narrowing slightly. Once the door had closed behind her, he returned his gaze to the executive, noting that the man was still watching him.

“Akari. Interesting stage name. Why did you choose it?”

The question was not what Izaya was expecting and he shrugged. “Akari can be interpreted in multiple ways but in its simplest form, it seemed fitting for a performer’s pseudonym. Single kanji, easy to remember, elegant meaning.”

“I’m not sure that elegant is the word I would use to describe your performance. As I understand it, tonight was a trial run for you.”

“That was the agreement,” Izaya confirmed but added nothing else.

“Do you intend to continue?”

“That will depend on what you are willing to offer.”

“To the point, I see.”

Izaya smirked. “I wouldn’t want to waste your time.”

“Hina said you had no dance background, only some gymnastics.”

“Parkour.”

Shiki arched a brow at the word. “I see. It appears you have a natural talent for dance, then.”

Izaya shrugged again. “Hina said the same thing. Is it enough for you to want to employ me?”

“It’s enough for Hina to want to employ you.” 

Izaya tilted his head at the executive’s response. “But not you?”

“I have a feeling that your interest in working here has nothing to do with your newfound talent for pole dancing.”

Izaya’s lips parted into a surprised smile and he chuckled. “If not for money, why else would a young college student want to work in a yakuza-run sex club? Out of curiosity, was that part going to be included in contract discussions or were you going to spring that on me later?”

“The girls who sell their bodies aren’t usually the ones on the stage.”

“Ah, so you _do_ offer other services,” Izaya confirmed with a smirk. 

Shiki arched a brow at Izaya. “Were you prepared to negotiate that kind of work as well?”

“Of course not.”

“So if the contract involved sex-work, you’d turn it down.” Izaya nodded. “Money isn’t your motivation, then.”

“Not really, no. I agreed to this because I was curious, not because I actually _need_ a job.”

“Curious about pole dancing or curious about the club?”

“The club. Why would she want to recruit a male dancer? The clientele obviously isn’t coming here for that. Am I simply a novelty? Or is she thinking of expanding in a different direction?”

“You went to all this effort to answer a few idle questions?”

“There’s also my curiosity about how a yakuza-run club operates. Behind the curtain, as it were. Since the club is a front for illegal prostitution, how do you operate that covert part? Are the girls plants in the club? Are they the servers? You’ve clarified that they aren’t the dancers so you must have some other way to introduce them to the clientele.”

“That sounds like a very unhealthy curiosity to have, Orihara-kun.” 

It wasn’t that Izaya couldn’t hear the warning in Shiki’s voice. It was simply that he chose to ignore it. Sitting inches away from this executive who spoke with such detached calm as to seem uncaring, yet responding to Izaya with very sharp perception - it was exciting. “I’ve been told that I have an unhealthy curiosity about many things. Surely I’m not the first young man you’ve met who was curious about how you do business?”

That Izaya had ignored his warning was not lost on the executive. A hint of a smile curved the edges of his lips, chilly and inhospitable. “Surely you don’t think the yakuza are simply going to tell you all about their business practices?”

Izaya laughed at the response. He shifted his position, leaning forward as he watched the executive. Shiki merely gazed at him with the same unreadable expression. “No, I don’t suppose I would have agreed to a potential job as a pole dancer if I thought just asking would work.”

“If you’re so curious about the yakuza, why not simply join?”

“And have to start at the bottom as a thug harassing people for protection money? Or bodyguarding rich executives like yourself? Do I really look like the kind of man who would fit that kind of job?”

Shiki’s gaze travelled over Izaya’s form and he smirked. “No, I don’t suppose anyone would take you seriously if they just took into account your physical appearance. You do know the yakuza employ more than just street thugs, yes?”

“Obviously,” Izaya replied. He gazed at Shiki silently for a moment, recalling what his contact had told him about the white-suited executive. Then he took a gamble. “I’m not interested in joining the yakuza but I’m not averse to working for them. Hire me and I’ll show you what I’m really worth.”

Shiki studied Izaya quietly for a moment, taking a sip of his drink as he contemplated the bold young man sitting beside him. “And what is that, exactly?”

“Dance isn’t my only talent. I also have a knack for… finding interesting bits of information.”

“Sounds like high risk with minimal profit.” 

Izaya’s eyes widened slightly at the way Shiki rebuffed his offer and his lips curled into a slight pout. “I’m _very good_ , Shiki Haruya of the Awakusu-kai, youngest executive at only twenty-six. Cold-blooded, they call you yet unlike your fellow executives, you aren’t known for brute violence. You climbed the ranks using your wits and made more than a few enemies along the way. Like Akazawa Juzo, a former executive of the Awakusu-kai, who is now serving time in prison for embezzlement and tax evasion. Interesting that you were both responsible for his arrest and promoted to replace him.”

Shiki’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he shifted to face Izaya. “A piece of advice, Orihara-kun. Flaunting that kind of knowledge just to prove yourself is exactly the kind of thing that will get you into trouble in a place like this.”

“Ah, but it got your attention, didn’t it, Shiki-san? Made you think that perhaps you should take me a bit more seriously?”

“A dangerous gamble.”

“This is a dangerous game.”

Shiki reached out and grasped Izaya’s chin, staring at him intently. Izaya didn’t flinch, just met Shiki’s gaze and stared back, a smirk playing on his lips. “Are you sure you want to play?”

 _“Yes._ ”


	2. Motivation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not mean to write more for this. I really didn't. And I'm going to be honest... I have no real plot planned out _at all_ so if these reads as a train wreck you have been forewarned. I really just have a bunch of ideas that I want to write into scenes. 
> 
> As a side note: AT LAST I AM ABLE TO USE SONG TITLES AS CHAPTER TITLES! You know, like every 15 year old fanfic writer... XD  
> I joke. But the chapter titles are totally the songs Izaya will be performing to :3

Several weeks passed. Izaya performed at the club every weekend and it was easy money. In that short time, he began to gain something of a following among the bar’s patrons and no few admirers with offers of an entirely lewd nature. It was n’t unexpected; the other dancers had warned him of that kind of thing but the number of interested men was certainly more than he had expected of such a conventional sex club. He was more than willing to chat with them, a privilege they paid for that gave him the opportunity to learn all sorts of things, but turned down any offers beyond that and the presence of tattooed bouncers ensured his refusal was respected.

What he didn’t gain was any kind of attention from Shiki. The reserved executive had let him take the job as a dancer but the other part he had offered, the information he was willing to obtain, didn’t seem to have drawn his attention as Izaya had hoped. It didn’t stop him from applying ample amounts of charm, manipulation and cunning to learning a very great deal about the men who patronized the club. He was surprised by just how freely the men would speak of things better left unsaid when in the presence of each other, pretty women and alcohol.

Shiki had a table, of course, reserved for his use. More often than not it was empty but sometimes, like tonight, the executive would be sitting there with other yakuza. It was not a table he was ever invited to, of course, so he had no idea what the men were discussing, though he’d learned to recognize them and put names to faces. Tonight it was another executive by the name of Akabayashi Mizuki. It had become a habit for him, that first moment when he stepped onto the stage, to look over to that private booth and when he spotted that white suit amid the sea of darkness, there was always a small hope that the man would come to speak with him. 

It wasn't as if he didn't have other potential customers. There were others, even within the Awakusu who would pay for his services. Yet there was something about the white-suited executive, something about the way he had figured out Izaya's ulterior motive for being here, the way he hadn't even blinked at Izaya's blackmail, had let him play his game despite it, yet so casually ignored his presence as if none of that mattered. 

The music pushed those thoughts from his mind, forcing his focus back to the lights, the poles and the audience. That now-familiar rush as he took his first steps, somewhere between nerves and excitement as he graced his audience with the gift of his presence, gracefully flowing across the stage in a series of floor movements that were equal parts beautiful and sexy. Movements that had been stiff when he first walked into that studio now flowed more naturally, raw talent slowly moulded into something more. Moving fluidly from the floor to grasping the pole, the raw power of his lifts no less impressive than that first performance, yet softened in places by the shift from newly-learned to well-practiced. It was becoming second-nature, just like when he was running rooftops, his body’s reactions far ahead of his thoughts. 

By the time his dance had come to an end, the table was empty and he couldn't quite stifle the disappointment he felt. 

~

"He's gotten better," the red-headed yakuza observed, watching Shiki's newest dancer shimmying up the pole with unparalleled grace. 

"He's the best of them," Shiki replied, sipping his whiskey. "Despite stealing the spotlight from them, none of the girls seem particularly resentful of him. I was sure Reika, at least, would be upset. She’s been doing this for years and had to work hard to be successful. He’s been doing it for weeks and looks like that."

"She _is_ a diva. Surprising that she wouldn’t start something. She lives on drama," Akabayashi agreed. "How'd he win them over?" 

"He charmed them. Hina too. Honestly, if he was a recruiter, I’d be worried he could steal the club’s staff from me. It seems like second nature to him. Sometimes it's obvious that he's doing it intentionally, like when he talks to the customers but other times I don't think he's aware he's even doing it."

"He's making the club a lot of money just dancing and talking to people. You said he was working for Kine?" 

"Yes. I looked into him after that first night. Seems Kine met him when he was in high school. He was already dabbling in the business so Kine tried to keep him from getting into too much trouble. He was selling the cops information on what the colour gangs were up to and, in turn, selling the gangs warnings about potential police raids."

Akabayashi chuckled. "Making money off both sides."

"And neither side ever figured out that he was responsible. I'm not entirely sure how he gets all of his information but it's definitely legit."

"So you're going to use him?" 

"I think having him work for us is safer than letting him run free. He's still a kid; young, impatient, and afraid of nothing."

"Weren't we all?" Akabayashi grinned. 

"Some of us less stupid than others," Shiki replied, giving Akabayashi a pointed look. "Either way, I'd rather not have him working against us in the long run. He might get himself killed playing with the wrong people but he has a lot of potential and I'd rather have that aimed at our enemies."

"So you're going to help him build his business like Kine was planning to do? Kine's gonna be pissed that you stole his baby informant."

"Kine's baby informant walked into my club and offered up his services. If Kine wanted exclusive rights on the kid's services, he should have kept a better leash on him."

Akabayashi shook his head, amused. "Kine's still going to be pissed."

Shiki shrugged. "Kine's never liked me. He’ll find any reason to complain about what I do. If I turned the kid down, he'd just be irritated that I didn't give him a chance." 

"Are you saying Kine has an internal bias?" 

"Are you saying he doesn't?" 

"OK, OK." Akabayashi raised his hands in defeat. "He's definitely got a biased opinion but he's not entirely wrong about you."

Shiki rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to apologize for being successful in a cut-throat business."

"Of course not. Try not to leave too many enemies in the wake of your success. I'd hate for you to end up dead." Akabayashi warned with a mocking grin.

Shiki snorted. "I didn't get this far being careless. I need to give him a task before he gets impatient and decides to dig up more things I'd rather he didn't. You want to meet him?" 

"You bet I do."

~

“Good job tonight, Izaya!” Hina called, tossing him a towel as he stepped backstage. “Did you change the end routine?”

“Yeah, I thought it would be smoother if I changed the order of the final poses.” Izaya caught the towel and draped it around his neck, grabbing a nearby water bottle. 

“You were right. I came across a song I thought you might like. I’ll send it to you and you can let me know what you think at rehearsal.”

“Sure, I’ll check it out later. I know you probably have requests but I think I’m going to head home early tonight.”

“Of course,” Hina agreed, waving him off toward his dressing room. “You’re not obligated to talk to them anyway. Not that I don’t appreciate the money you bring in but if you need a night off, go ahead.”

Izaya chuckled. “You should think about bringing on another male dancer, honestly. There’s clearly a market for it.”

“Finding another good male dancer is harder than you’d think. Most men seem to think they’re too good for this kind of work.”

Izaya snorted. “How unsurprising. Their loss, my profit.” Hina’s amused laughter followed him down the hall.

Without an audience Izaya let the mask of civility fade, lips curving down into a pout as his thoughts returned to Shiki. That unguarded expression was the first thing the two Awakusu executives saw when Izaya entered his dressing room, clearly not expecting them. It was only for the briefest of moments; as soon as Izaya realized that he was not alone it was gone.

“Ah, Shiki-san, Akabayashi-san,” He greeted them as he closed the door, a please smirk replacing his pout. “To what do I owe the honour of a visit from _two_ executives?”

Akabayashi studied the young informant, noting the way he spoke with all the proper respect yet his tone seemed to hold an almost mocking note to it. His eyes narrowed behind his tinted glasses, leaning forward slightly with his hands clasped over the handle of his cane. “I’m just here to meet the self-styled information broker.” He replied with a grin, letting his gaze travel over Izaya a second time, taking in his near nude state and the confident way that he carried himself. 

Izaya stiffened slightly at his choice of words but met Akabayashi’s gaze and grinned, unbothered by the obvious assessment of his body. He sauntered toward the dressing table. “Do you like what you see?” 

“I can certainly see why you make the club money. Is it your pretty face that makes people spill their secrets, Orihara? Or maybe you trade kisses for secrets? Is that why you wanted to work at a sex club?”

Izaya gave him an amused look as he leaned against the table, crossing his ankles, the two executives having monopolized the only chairs in the small room. “Given that you run soaplands, I would think a man in your position would know that gaining information that way tends to be unreliable in both its availability and authenticity. Men don’t talk to prostitutes as confidants. Tactics like that are more likely to work at a host club than a soapland. If you mean to provoke me to some sort of ego-based irrational response, you’ll have to try harder than that.”

“That so?” Akabayashi continued to grin at Izaya. “I’ll keep that in mind. Kine seems to think you’re actually worth something when you’re not causing traffic jams and ridiculous amounts of property damage.”

Izaya laughed at that. “So you did your research on me. But you’re mistaken. I am simply not capable of the property damage you’re referring to. Please direct your accusations to the appropriate party.”

Shiki snorted at Izaya’s response, not at all denying the rumours nor even his involvement in them. "I have a job for you. A week from now I will be meeting with a man here and I want you to find out as much as possible about him between now and then."

Izaya's eyes lit up at that first sentence, focus shifting entirely to Shiki. "One week isn't much time." He observed. 

"True, but it's what I have to work with. His name is Anatoli Yurin. He's new to Tokyo but the organization he works for is not."

"Russian mob?" Izaya hummed thoughtfully as he processed Shiki's request, crossing his arms over his chest. There was something about it that bothered him but he couldn't put a finger on what. It felt like he was being set up to fail, with the limited time frame on such an obviously difficult target, but he couldn’t track a logical reason why Shiki would bother wasting his time. It seemed equally unlikely that Shiki expected him to succeed, either. This was a test of some sort but what Shiki was testing eluded him. "Five hundred thousand."

Akabayashi arched a brow at the figure. "You're kidding."

"Why would I be kidding? Were you expecting me to work for free?”

“An unproven kid wants to set his fee at ¥500,000*?

” Akabayashi snorted. “You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that. Most professional informants don’t charge that much, certainly not for only a week’s worth of work.”

Izaya smirked. “If I fail to produce results you don’t pay. Of course, if you want cheap work, feel free to use those other informants. I promise you they won’t be able to come up with anything in a week.”

“Arrogant brat, aren’t you?” 

Izaya’s smirk widened and he leaned forward a bit, uncrossing his arms and resting them on the table. “It’s hardly unreasonable considering what you’re asking of me. A mere week to look into a foreigner who only recently entered Tokyo? I will no doubt have to dedicate a ridiculous amount of time to this job, to the exclusion of anything else I might be working on. If I fail to learn anything about this Anatoli Yurin, I’m out both time _and_ money so the risk is all on me. You lose nothing if I fail. Normally I’d expect a deposit on a job to cover the potential losses you’re asking me to face, especially since the time frame increases the chance of failure, but since you are skeptical of my abilities, I’ll wave that requirement - _this time_.”

Shiki smirked at Izaya’s audacious demand and the logical line of reasoning behind it. Having had one conversation with the young man, he wasn’t particularly surprised but Akabayashi hadn’t had the benefit of a first meeting. It was amusing to see Izaya getting under Akabayashi’s skin, especially knowing that there was a time when the redhead had been just as young and brash. He stood and put a hand on Akabayashi’s shoulder to forestall any reaction from the redhead. “Two. Payment on delivery and only if the information you bring me is useful.”

Izaya’s eyes narrowed at Shiki’s counter-offer and he shook his head. “Define ‘useful’.”

Shiki smiled ruthlessly. “I’ll let you know once you produce something for me to review.”

Izaya’s lips pressed together in a thin line. “Three.”

“Done. Bring your results to the club next Friday.”

Izaya smirked and nodded, watching the two executives leave his dressing room. Once the door had closed behind them he let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. 

One week to prove myself.

~

Izaya stared at his reflection in the mirror, sighing at the dark circles that marred the pale skin beneath his eyes. He reached for concealer, applying the makeup for his performance. As his performances had improved, so too had his makeup skills and he’d become more adventurous with his choices. Makeup was a necessity for all stage performers, drawing out their features for the audience to see better from a distance under harsh lighting. The other girls had shown him that it could do much more, changing the lines, drawing attention to certain features while hiding others. In this case, it was to hide his fatigue and give an illusion of energy he didn’t have.

As much as he enjoyed it, he’d run himself ragged this week just to provide Shiki with something worthy of his request. It hadn’t been easy to pry loose useful secrets but he’d managed to put something together that should suit Shiki’s needs - or what he thought they might be since the executive hadn’t actually revealed his motives. Shiki had taken the report when he arrived, telling him that they would speak after his performance. 

“Izaya, are you ready?” Hina poked her head into the dressing room. “If you need more time I can switch the lineup.”

“No, it’s fine,” he replied, standing. “I’m ready.”

“Are you sure you want to try the new routine tonight? You haven’t had much time to rehearse and there’s no rush.”

“It’s fine, I’m comfortable with it. It's all the same moves just in a different pattern."

Hina chuckled as they walked toward the stage. "Your adaptability is quite surprising. Even the best dancers tend to need time to retrain their bodies to remember new patterns."

"When you're doing parkour that isn't really an option," Izaya replied with a grin. "Train the individual moves, not large patterns of movement. If your body decides to follow through with the wrong move, it's significantly riskier than if you miss a pattern on the pole."

Hina gave Izaya a perplexed look then shrugged. "It obviously works for you. You going to hit the floor tonight?"

Izaya thought about the meeting Shiki would be having tonight. "Definitely," He replied with a smirk. 

As he stepped onto the dark stage, moving into position, his eyes drifted toward Shiki's table, taking that brief moment before his music started to stare at the Russian he had spent the week investigating. It was too dark to pick out anything distinct. They appeared to be talking but the first beats of his music brought both their gazes to the stage. 

The song was older but easily recognizable. Izaya found the floor moves more difficult than the pole acrobatics, something he had to consciously work at, but the slow and sultry beat of the R&B song had his hips swaying easily as he fell into the routine. 

Where his first song had a dark industrial feel, this one was slow and sexy. The contrast was not lost on the audience; the cheers and whistles showed their approval. He smirked at the audience, pleased by their reactions, but his gaze returned to that secluded table where his true interest lay. That he had captured Shiki's attention pleased him far more than the cheers and whistles of his sycophants. 

He shifted his attention to the pole as he continued the routine, setting aside his curiosity to focus on his performance. As much as he would rather be at that table, he could hardly expect Shiki to trust him that much at this point. Between his reputation and the meetings he'd had with him, Izaya suspected Shiki might never trust him that much. Which only made Izaya see him as a more exciting challenge. 

He leaned back, hanging upside down from the pole by his legs, back arched as he trailed hands over his chest. He smirked at the crowd, the collective hush broken by surprised gasps as he dropped into a series of slow swings that tested his strength and eventually brought him back down to the floor in time with the end of the song. With an exaggerated wink, he blew a kiss to the crowd then sauntered off the stage to the sound of cheers and whistles.

_Damn, that’s an addictive feeling._

As he was changing - or rather _putting on_ clothes, a tight-fitting v-neck t-shirt and form-fitting leather pants, Hina knocked on the door. “Come in, I’m decent.”

“You’re anything but decent with a routine like that one,” Hina teased as she entered the dressing room. “Sorry, Izaya, but Shiki has asked you to go to his table. It seems his guests want to meet you.” 

“Guests?” Izaya asked, eyes lighting up at the invitation. “I only saw one person at the table with him.”

“Did you notice the pretty blonde sitting near the front?”

Izaya pursed his lips in thought then nodded slowly. He’d been focusing solely on Shiki’s table; that had been a mistake. “So she was with the tall Russian?”

“I guess so. She joined them at the table after you left the stage.”

“Interesting. Did she like what she saw?” He grinned and Hina laughed.

“Go ask her yourself. Too bad, though. That one businessman who keeps asking for your number is back tonight and he was more than willing to throw money at you.”

Izaya gave a suitably disappointed sigh then shrugged. “Maybe the Russians will pay more…”

Hina patted him on the head. “Not as Shiki’s guests they won’t… But if you give them a bit of charm, maybe they’ll come back and pay next time.”

“Are you trying to whore me out, Hina?” Izaya replied with mock horror. 

“I would never whore out one of my dancers!” Hina replied. “Unless, of course, they _wanted_ to go into that line of work…”

“Sorry, _onee-san*_ but I only strip onstage. I’m saving myself for the day when I finally meet that special someone.”

Hina laughed and reached for his highlighter, opening up the case and brushing a small amount over his cheekbones. “Somehow I find that hard to believe, _ototo*_. If you find him, let me know.”

He snorted. “Why, so you can send apology letters to all my admirers?”

“So I can convince your one true love that the only way to keep you safe from your admirers is to come to the club and spend money every night you perform.”

“You would whore me out to my own true love?” Izaya gasped with mock outrage. “I can see why Shiki hired you to manage this place.”

“What can I say? I have expensive tastes. Now hurry up. Wouldn’t want to keep the boss waiting. He might dock your pay.”

Izaya gasped in mock horror. “Oh no, anything but that…” He stood, taking one last look in the mirror. “Being beautiful and talented is such hard work.”

Hina snorted and kicked him in the ass. “Narcissist.”

He grinned and gave her a wave as he left the room, heading toward the floor. As he passed the bar, the bartender slid him a Smirnoff Ice. He grabbed it with a grin then turned toward Shiki's table, waving at a few of his fans as they tried to call him over. He studied the blonde woman, noting that she fit the description of one of Yurin's people, a young assassin by the name of Vorona. 

_Definitely should have been paying more attention to the rest of the room._

Not a mistake he would make again. Though it did make him curious as to why she might be interested in him. The obvious reasons simply couldn't apply if what he'd learned about her was true. The only thing Vorona was interested in was proving her worth to her father by racking up a kill count. Her criminal co-workers even found her disturbingly cold and emotionless. 

His first concern was that his investigation into Yurin had been somehow found out. Would Shiki sell him out to protect his interests? 

Definitely. 

But no, he had been very careful, using multiple proxies. Even if Yurin had caught wind of people looking into him, there was only a slim chance that it could be tied back to him. 

He graced the table's occupants with a smile as he arrived at the table. "Shiki-san, you asked for me?" 

Shiki tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement, shifting his gaze to the Russians. "Please join us." He told Izaya without making introductions.

Izaya noted this and also shifted his gaze to the Russians, studying them as he took a seat beside Shiki. Yurin was not a small man. As if to emphasize his size, the man's suit looked a size too small, cloth straining at the seams. It was an amusing juxtaposition against Shiki’s habit of wearing his suit a bit big. Leveraging appearance in different ways. 

"Your performance was very impressive." Yurin complimented him with a grin, his Japanese heavily accented. "Are you professional dancer?" 

Izaya smirked and shook his head. "No, this is just a part-time job. I don't have much dance training." He spoke honestly, seeing no value in lying.

"Aha!" Vorona exclaimed, staring at him with suspicion. "You see? I tell you, he is fighter."

Izaya arched a brow at the blond and feigned ignorance. "Fighter? Like boxing? I think you may be confused."

"Fighter like bodyguard." She paused, giving him a critical look. "Not bodyguard but maybe assassin."

Izaya slid his gaze over to Shiki, eyes shining with amusement but giving the executive an otherwise confused expression. 

"I assure you, Akari is merely a dancer. He is not a member of the Awakusu, " Shiki replied, voice neutral, but Izaya thought he spied a hint of an upward turn at the edges of the executive's lips. 

"He moves like fighter, not dancer," Vorona insisted. 

"I may have had a bad habit of getting into fights in high school," Izaya admitted in a sheepish voice. "But I'm not an assassin. That sounds like something out of a movie." He replied with a grin and a laugh. 

Yurin also laughed. "Yes, like old yakuza movies, maybe!" He declared and Shiki chuckled. 

"My club manager found Akari through a fitness class advertised at his college. He has informed me that he has no interest in a career with the yakuza. He is pursuing a psychology degree."

Izaya continued to smile at the Russians during Shiki’s explanation, the only indication of his surprise that Shiki knew what he was studying was a slow blink. “Yes, I’m quite fascinated by the field of study.”

“You were troublemaker in high school and went into psychology?” Varona eyed him suspiciously. “What kind of fighting did you do?”

“I didn’t take martial arts if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Hey Varona, it’s ok.” Yurin chuckled. “Boys fight at that age.”

Izaya resisted the urge to roll his eyes at that cliche statement. There was only one person he fought with, after all, but they didn’t need to know that. He still wasn’t entirely sure why he had been invited to the table. If it was simply because Varona had been suspicious, it seemed a waste of time.

Varona turned to look at Yurin, switching to Russian. “I do not like him. He is suspicious. I think he was planted here.”

“I think you are acting paranoid. He is just a kid. Look at him. He is no threat. You should keep your focus on tracking down your target instead of worrying about some piece of ass they hired to dance in a club.”

“These yakuza are suspicious. I think they will cause problems for us. This boy is a good example. He isn’t just a piece of ass.”

“I respect your father and I know you are good at killing but you are not a negotiator. Leave the politics of the yakuza to me.” Yurin warned her. “I do not want you meddling with them or their businesses. That includes their employees. We do not need to make them more suspicious.”

Izaya kept his expression neutral, smiling politely as they spoke, pretending not to understand. He glanced at Shiki who had pulled out his cigarettes and lit one, giving the impression of boredom.

“Sorry, Our Japanese is not the best. Sometimes it is easier to explain things to Varona in our own language.” Yurin apologized. “She was only child and homeschooled so she does not know what school life can be like.”

Izaya waved his hand dismissively, giving Varona a calculatedly charming smile. It only made her narrow her eyes which, of course, just amused him more. “Of course. I’m learning English in college so I completely understand.”

“Is that all you wanted my dancer for?” Shiki asked of Vorona, giving her an unimpressed look that gave the impression that she had just wasted his time. 

“Maybe the Russian beauty wishes to learn how to pole dance?” Izaya offered a pleasant smile. “If that is the case, I would be happy to show her.”

Shiki side-eyed Izaya as Vorona gave Izaya an unfriendly look. “I do not need lessons from amateur. I have classical ballet training.”

Yurin laughed at the exchange. “Sorry to waste your time, boy. Let me make it up to you.” He pulled out his wallet and tossed two ￥10,000 notes onto the table in front of Izaya. “Enough to cover any girl here, yes?”

Izaya’s eyes narrowed, features taking on an unfriendly smile that was no less attractive for its sudden animus. “Is this meant to imply that my company alone is worth as much as a full-service prostitute? Or is this an offer?”

Out of sight of the Russians, Shiki gripped Izaya’s thigh in warning.

Yurin gave him a dismissive grin. “In club like this everything is for sale, yes?”

Izaya’s grin widened and he reached out to pluck the notes off the table. “I’ll consider this enough to cover the cost of my company. Since I’m obligated to split it with the bosses…” He folded one of the notes and tucked it into the breast pocket of Shiki’s blazer. “As for anything else…” He stood, tucking the other note into his pocket, sliding his other hand over his chest. “I’m not interested.” He turned away from the table and sauntered toward the bar. Yurin’s laughter followed him.

“I see why he is popular.”

“Indeed” Shiki replied. He watched Izaya disappear into the back, thinking that he’d just invited a snake into his house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¥500,000 is about $5000 US 
> 
> Onee-san and ototo are used in the context of big sister and little brother, a teasing kind of thing.


	3. Shady

Izaya wasn’t overly fond of waiting. Patience was a necessity, he knew, especially in his line of work. Knowing that Shiki was continuing to entertain the Russians while he was stuck in his dressing room ate at his patience, though. How much more useful could he be if he was still at that table? He could even have been more useful on the floor, talking to the regular customers if the assassin hadn’t decided to question his performance. He couldn’t afford to draw any more attention and so he had to retreat, hiding in the back, waiting for Shiki. His eyes narrowed in irritation and he exhaled sharply.

_What did she know? Why had she singled him out?_

He sprawled out across the couch in the manager’s office, pulling out his phone and flipping through a series of photos - the same ones he had submitted to Shiki in his file. His performance on the stage shouldn’t have alerted her to anything besides the fact that he was obviously fit. There was nothing particular about the pole dancing or even his parkour skills that should lead her to think he was anything more than what he appeared to be. He would have to keep an eye on her.

_If Shiki plans to keep using me._

The thought drew his lips into a pout. Keeping an eye on the Russians would be good business regardless of Shiki’s intentions but it was frustrating that he still couldn’t read the executive. There were times when he thought he could but found himself questioning his own intuition moments later. Shiki had been no different with the Russians than he had been in their meetings. Cool, reserved and unfailingly polite with occasional hints of a dark sense of humour. It was nearly impossible to ferret out the usual clues in Shiki’s body language or facial expressions, leaving him constantly guessing.

But he still had an ace to play. He knew what the Russians had really been speaking about. He could leverage that knowledge, and further uses his ability to speak Russian could have. That would require getting Shiki to trust him, though. A task that currently seemed nearly impossible. What would be the best way to leverage it?

~

Shiki watched the Russians leave, taking the time to finish his whiskey as he considered Izaya's information, the meeting, and the blonde's response to the informant. He had been suspicious the moment Vorona had asked to meet Izaya but refusing would have seemed odd so, despite his misgivings, he had summoned the raven. Izaya had been discreet enough, though the way he had tried to provoke Yurin at the end had irritated Shiki. In the end, whatever suspicions Vorona had, Yurin didn't seem to take them seriously so his initial concern that Izaya had been found out was banished. 

_What had the raven been trying to do when he provoked Yurin?_

Izaya was hardly shy about his looks and in the weeks he had been working for the club, he'd had many more offers of that sort which he had handled with a less confrontational approach. Based on what he'd seen of Izaya's behaviour and his skills, Shiki was sure the raven had a reason for it but couldn't quite see what it might have been.

He threw back the last of his drink and rose, following the path Izaya had taken earlier into the staff area. Hina gave him a smile as he passed her in the hallway. "He's waiting in the office." 

Shiki nodded his acknowledgment. "Thank you, Hina." He opened the door to the office and was greeted with the sight of Izaya popping up to peer at him over the back of the couch where he'd obviously been lounging. Shiki arched a brow at the casual way Izaya had made himself at home in Shiki's office. "You waited," Shiki observed in a level tone.

"You did say we would speak after your meeting." Izaya shifted on the couch as Shiki moved to take a seat beside him. Izaya watched as Shiki pulled out his smokes, a flash of mild disapproval crossing his expression briefly. "Was my information satisfactory?"

"Your information was excellent. How does a college student manage to have connections that can provide inside information on the Russian mob?" Shiki's tone was casual, as close to friendly as Izaya suspected he ever was. Shiki's eyes, though, were focused intently on him, suspicious, questioning, and not at all friendly.

"I told you I was good." Izaya met the executive's gaze, smirking. "I won't reveal my methods or sources. That's hardly good business."

"For most of your clients, that might be fair." Shiki's tone was measured, reasonable. 

"You aren't other clients," Izaya predicted. "I'm very aware. It makes sense that you wouldn't trust me but you were the one who gave me this case. Did you expect me to fail?" 

Shiki's lips twitched in amusement at Izaya's bluntness. "There is such a thing as knowing _too_ much, you know."

"So do you _also_ think I'm some kind of plant?" Izaya grinned. "Why would the Russians be suspicious of me if I was working for them?" 

Shiki arched a brow at Izaya's amused and flippant response. "I don't think you're a plant for the Russians." Shiki dismissed the suggestion. "I think you know more than you put in your report." 

Izaya grew serious. "I do."

"And you were quite a bit further along in building your business than you let Kine know." Izaya's lips thinned and Shiki took that small reaction as confirmation. He changed the subject. "Why did you treat Yurin differently than the customers who make similar offers?"

"Yurin didn't make an offer. He made an assumption." Izaya's gaze grew calculating. "I was curious. I wanted to know if his offer was meant as an insult or if he was trying to draw out a reaction that would lend credence to Vorona's suspicions. So I responded as if I'd taken it as an insult."

"You think he made the offer assuming that if you did work for me as more than a dancer, you'd accept the chance to get closer to him. That presumes he has an interest in men."

"Which he does."

"If his offer was meant as an insult, it wouldn't be a guarantee that he was interested in you at all."

"True."

"So you knew his preference beforehand. Why didn't you include that in your report?" 

Izaya's eyes narrowed as he contemplated Shiki. "You were hardly specific in what you wanted me to find out. You left it quite open, in fact. I submitted the information I felt would be the most useful from a business perspective. And…" He gave a shrug. "While I trust the information to be correct, I was unable to confirm it in the short amount of time I had. It's bad practice to include unconfirmed information."

Shiki inclined his head, acknowledging Izaya's points. He hadn't given Izaya any direction, that was true, and it was because he wanted to see what Izaya would produce without specific guidelines. It was interesting that the raven wouldn't put unverified information in his report; most informants he'd worked with weren't nearly as particular. In fact, most were quite happy to sell you nothing more than rumours if they could get away with it. Izaya had a sense of integrity for his work and that impressed Shiki. 

"Why would Vorona be suspicious of you?" 

Izaya shrugged. "I don't know. Neither she or Yurin have any reason to suspect that I was anything other than a dancer. I was very careful in gathering this information. After all," Izaya smirked. "I might end up working _for_ the Russians at some point."

Shiki arched a brow. "Is that so? An unhealthy decision, I would think."

Izaya's smirk widened at the threat and he seemed delighted instead of cowed. 

_Unhealthy attraction to danger. It may have been smarter to send him away…_

"Yurin does not seem sold on Vorona's opinion." 

"Is that a guess?" Shiki asked. 

"I can't be certain but, as I'm sure you realized, their little Russian chat wasn't about the behaviour of teen boys."

"You speak Russian." It was a confirmation, not a question. Shiki had suspected, based on Izaya's reactions at the table. He was very good at masking his true feelings and motives but there were moments when Shiki could see the small tells in Izaya's behaviour. Izaya seemed disappointed in Shiki's response and that brought a slight smirk to Shiki's lips. The raven had been hoping to surprise him it seemed.

"They are hiding the real reason they are here. Vorona has a target that she has been ordered to track down. Presumably, to kill. Yurin is here to play political niceties, to keep you distracted."

"You've certainly earned your pay, Orihara." Shiki reached into his suit jacket and pulled out an envelope, handing it to the raven. "However, if this business arrangement is to continue, I have expectations."

Izaya took the envelope but didn't bother opening it. "So you intend to keep employing me?" 

"As long as you are working for the Awakusu, loyalty is expected." Shiki continued. "I can only hope Kine made that clear to you."

"He did." Izaya acknowledged the point but once again didn't appear particularly concerned. "And, as I told him, if loyalty is expected then it should be rewarded."

"You will be compensated." Shiki was tempted to remind Izaya of the consequences of betraying him but doubted it would have any effect on the young informant. "I propose a retainer."

Izaya couldn't completely hide the surprise at Shiki's suggestion, eyes widening in delight then narrowing sharply in suspicion. "You can buy my loyalty but not my exclusivity." He warned and Shiki smirked. 

"Take as many clients as you want. However, if you agree to a retainer, you will prioritize the Awakusu. Five hundred thousand. Monthly."

"As a base retainer. However, should additional costs be incurred, I reserve the right to bill you appropriately."

"As long as those costs can be reasonably documented as incurred by the cases I give you."

"Are you my sole contact or should I expect visits from other executives?" 

"As I am your direct employer, any work for the Awakusu will come through me. Should the other executives approach you directly, feel free to charge them for those services."

Izaya gave Shiki a shrewd look and a grin. "If I find the Awakusu are taking up too much of my time, expect a renegotiation."

"I expect you to earn it," Shiki replied firmly.

"We have a deal."

"Good. I want you to find out who Vorona's target is and locate them before she does."

Izaya grinned. "Already on it."

~

Izaya had gained a shadow and he found it hilarious. For an assassin, the pretty Russian girl didn’t seem to understand how to follow a person discreetly. He was sitting in a cafe near Tokyo University, at a table that faced the window. She was sitting at a table near the back, wearing a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses. Which did absolutely nothing to disguise the obvious foreigner in a crowd of Japanese university students.

 _Perhaps the Russians used other agents to locate her targets and merely sent her in to do the killing._

If that was the case, where did she get her information from? His contact inside the Russians hadn’t been able to provide him with anything helpful about the target Yurin had spoken about. It seemed to be something Yurin and Vorona were keeping very quiet on, something they didn’t want the rest of the organization to know. While he had filed that away as potential leverage, it left him with fewer avenues to do his job.

Initially, he had planned to track Vorona’s movements but if she was wasting her time following him, it was unlikely that she was the one working on tracking down the target. Which meant she must have an ally doing the legwork. He needed to find out who her ally was. 

Izaya slid his laptop into his bag and picked up his coffee, trading his seat by the window for the one across from Vorona. He gave her a wide grin as she stared at him. “Hello! What a coincidence, running into you again, Miss Vorona.” Her lips thinned at his friendly greeting. “Do you spend a lot of time on campus? I noticed you the other day on my way home from class.”

She exhaled sharply. “You are not fooling me. I know you work for the yakuza.”

Izaya’s grin widened. “Fooling you? I thought it was obvious when we met. I was performing in their club, after all.”

“You know it is not what I mean.”

“Oh, I know. What I don’t know is why you are so convinced that I am more than a dancer and occasional host.” Izaya gave her a thoughtful look, eyes shining with amusement. “Are you… Interested in me, Vorona?” His voice was full of amusement.

“Pardon me?” She stared at him with confusion.

“I’m flattered but you’re not my type,” he informed her with a patronizing tone. “I do hate to break a girl’s heart but it’s better this way. Wouldn’t want to lead you on.”

Vorona frowned. “I think you misunderstand.”

“I don’t work for the yakuza, Vorona.” He smirked. “I took the dancing job for extra money but when I met the boss - that would be Shiki - well, let’s just say I’m sticking around for _other_ reasons.” 

“You…” Vorona’s brow creased in confusion. “You work for him because you want to fuck him?”

Izaya snickered at her reaction, delighted. “Wouldn’t you? He’s just so…”

“You are lying.” She cut him off, disgusted. She stood up, giving him a cold stare. “I will find out the truth.”

Izaya’s tone lost its friendly humour. “Miss Vorona, if you continue to play stalker I will be telling Shiki that you are harassing me and also filing a police report. Do you really want to cause that kind of trouble for your boss?”

Vorona froze at Izaya’s words and the sudden change in his demeanour, realizing that this was no idle threat. She scowled then turned and stormed out of the cafe. Izaya watched her go with a smirk as he pulled out his phone and sent a brief text.

_Follow her._

~

“So you really went and put him on retainer.” Akabayashi was watching Izaya perform, shaking his head. “You sure you can handle him?”

Shiki also watched the raven’s performance, expression thoughtful. They had been discussing the meeting and Izaya’s new role. “He’s too clever to just ignore. I just need to keep him on a leash and I think I know just how to do that.”

“I dunno, Haruya,” Akabayashi mused. “He seems like too much of a wildcard. Why come to you when he had a pretty good thing going with Kine?”

“I suspect Kine’s careful approach didn’t sit well with him. He saw an opportunity and jumped on it. I like his ambition.”

“Ambition is dangerous. How long before he jumps ship?” Akabayashi warned.

“From what I’ve seen, he’s got two major motivations. The first is establishing his business and he needs support and capital to do that. Kine was providing it under the explicit expectation that Izaya do things his way which he seems to have found stifling and unsatisfactory. The second is a genuine curiosity that seems to be the motivation for doing this kind of job at all. Giving him a generous retainer without attaching rules on how to do his job ensures that he won’t feel stifled. Making sure he regularly gets jobs from us that pique his interest keeps him from straying too far. Besides which, he’s still working in the club so I can keep a direct eye on him.”

“I’m surprised he’s still working the club job now that he got what he wanted. Figured he’d drop it.”

Shiki chuckled. “He’s using the club to gain clients and information.”

Akabayashi frowned at that. “And you’re ignoring it?”

“The wider he casts his net, the more useful he will be to us.”

“Or he gets bought by the next highest bidder who comes along.”

Shiki shook his head. “He’s not motivated by money. He needs it to establish his business but it’s just a means to an end for him. He won’t be bought that easily.”

“I think you’re giving him too much credit. He’s shady as hell. Manipulative little bastard.”

“You’re not wrong.” Shiki shrugged in response. “I have a gut feeling about him. Trust me. If he becomes a problem, I’ll deal with it.”

“You know I trust you. It’s him I don’t trust. He knows enough to cause a lot of trouble if he decides to betray you and it’s pretty obvious he has no fear of the consequences.”

“And an unhealthy attraction to danger, yes, I noticed. I’m keeping eyes on him. In the meantime, he’s been very useful and I intend to continue to exploit that.”

~

There was a knock on Izaya’s dressing room door and Hina popped her head in. Izaya glanced at her as he shimmied into his skinny jeans. “You got a minute, Iza?” She asked, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. 

“What do you need?” He asked as he reached for his shirt.

She leaned against the door, watching him with appreciation. “I feel obligated to send your friend a thank you note for dragging you to my class.”

Izaya snorted. “He doesn’t know I’m doing this.” He gave her an obviously fake look of desperation. “Don’t tell him! I’ll never live it down! My reputation will be ruined!”

Hina laughed and shook her head. “Somehow I doubt that. If you were really worried about your reputation you would never have gone to the class at all.”

“As I’m sure you remember, I didn’t know what kind of class it was.”

“But you stayed.”

“I’m a wonderful friend.”

“I bet.” Hina grew serious. “Listen, when I brought you in, I just figured it would be a job. Like the other girls. But the girls and I have noticed…” She paused, sighing softly.

“Noticed what?” Izaya prompted, tilting his head in curiosity. 

“I always warn the girls not to get attached but I didn’t think I had to warn you.”

“Get attached…?” Izaya arched a brow, confused. “Attached to what? The job? The clients?”

“The boss.”

“Shiki?” Izaya gave her an amused look. “Hina… are you warning me not to fall for him?”

“Don’t give me that look. I’ve seen the way you’re always watching for him. The nights he comes in, you always stay later. Last weekend you waited in the office for over an hour.”

Izaya studied his manager seriously. She didn’t know he had been soliciting Shiki for a different job. She assumed he was trying to solicit him for something _entirely_ different and it was hilarious. Especially given what he had said to Vorona earlier in the week. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, contemplating how to use this new bit of information.

“You look like you’re plotting something,” Hina informed him, suspicion creeping into her voice. “It’s really not a good idea to get mixed up with him, Iza. You’re just an employee to him.”

“Am I?” Izaya smirked a bit. “I’d say I’ve caught his attention more than any of the girls.” If she’d noticed Izaya’s odd behaviour, she certainly would have noticed Shiki paying more attention to him as well.

Hina sighed. “You have but…” She paused, seeing the determination on Izaya’s face.

“So you think I have a chance?”

“I don’t know. I’ve worked with him for a few years now but I’ve never seen him come to the club with a date of any kind. He never touches the girls either, considers it unprofessional. Since you’re an employee, I don’t imagine he’d touch you either.”

Izaya hummed at that. His investigation into Shiki hadn’t drawn up any information on potential partners and paired with Hina’s observations, he found himself very curious. He smirked at Hina. “Sounds like a challenge.”

“You don’t even know if he’s into guys,” Hina pointed out with another sigh, coming to the realization that bringing up the topic seemed to have only spurred Izaya on.

“You want to place bets on it?” Izaya asked and Hina shook her head.

“Ok, fine, he’s probably into guys. You’re still an employee.”

“Barely. I’m just a part-time dancer.”

“And you think he’s going to bend his own rules for you?” Hina chuckled. “Your self-confidence is frightening.”

Izaya’s smirk widened. “Just watch me.”


End file.
